I would like this thread to be dedicated to cheap, healthy and tasty meal recipes for those of us on limited incomes!
As we all know a healthy diet is a key part to a long and happy life, and also a great learning experience for our youngsters so the more recipes, tips and tricks out there for the families who want to eat healthy for less the better!
I will start with a simple yet hearty home cooked broth, most of the ingredients can be changed to your liking too.
I use a slow cooker for mine (these can be had for about £10 at tesco!), but you can use a pressure cooker for a faster result or a standard pan on the hob and I make enough for around 6 big portions.
My broth goes something like this:
I ususally start with the left overs from a roast chicken, and by that I mean getting the most from the remains of the bird by breaking up all the bones and making a simple stock. (I also collect the drippings from the bird in a cup for later, once the drippings have cooled over night remove the fat layer on top and you should have some gellified stock underneath that should be added to the finished stock). So, Chop up the bones so the marrow can also infuse the stock, add 2 carrots, 1 halved onion, a few dried bay leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper. After 2 hours or so simmering on a low heat it should have mingled, changed colour and started to look a little more like the base of a lovely pot of broth!
strain the stock (or cook for a bit longer if you wish) and take out the carrots and onion to add to the broth, pepare your slow cooker or pan and add the stock along with any left over meat from the actual bird (or frozen/fresh chicken meat you may have in the fridge or freezer) and 1 finely chopped onion, 2 whole carrots and the carrots from the stock, 2 medium white potatoes, a big handful of pearl barley, a handful of green lentils and any other dried beans you might have around, a pich of rosemary and marjoram (or any other herd you like the smell of!) 2 stock cubes (incase you didn't have many bones to make a strong enough stock) and top up with water.
I usually cook my broths in the slow cooker for about 10 hours, often making them at around midnight so they are ready for everyone in the morning/day. if you are using a standard pan or pressure cooker, cook untill the potatoes are soft enough to jab with a fork and everything has cooked properly (especially the meat!). I also add dumplings sometime in the morning as they take a few hours to cook through, to make them you add butter (or suet-lidl stock it), water and flour and mix by hand into pool ball sized balls. The balls should be a bit sticky but firm ehough not to melt into the broth, I don't know an exact measure of each ingredient for the dumplings as I just do it by eye on the day.. Once they are rolled and ready, plop them in and let them simmer for around 2 hours or so depending on size, they also grow so don't feel the need to make big ones!
it's then as simple as getting the ladle and filling the bellies of your loved ones! Something that doesn't take alot of effort but is very rewarding.
I will try to calculate the ingredients so you cand get an idea of how much it costs to make:
bag of pearly barley = £1 for the bag and you will be using about 10 pence worth.
potatoes (from a 5 kilo bag) = £3 for the bag, so about 50p for the 2.
stock cubes = £1 for 12, so about 20p for the 2.
chicken = £5 but it'll make your roast dinner too, £2?.
carrots (from a 600g bag) = 70p for the bag, so about 40p for the 4.
onions = £1 for 3, so 65p for 2.
bag of lentils = £1 and you'll use about 10 pence worth.
herbs = about 5p!
flour = £1 for 1.5kilo and you'll use a few handfulls so 20p.
butter = £1 and you'll use about half, 50p.
All in, £3.70? it will feed around 6 people and you know what went into it!
I can't calculate the costs of electric and gas to run each cooking method but it will be minimal..
I hope you appreciate my recipe and I would love to see all the cooks to chip in and help inspire anyone who feels home cooking is too hard or overly expensive.
If i can do it, so can you!
As we all know a healthy diet is a key part to a long and happy life, and also a great learning experience for our youngsters so the more recipes, tips and tricks out there for the families who want to eat healthy for less the better!
I will start with a simple yet hearty home cooked broth, most of the ingredients can be changed to your liking too.
I use a slow cooker for mine (these can be had for about £10 at tesco!), but you can use a pressure cooker for a faster result or a standard pan on the hob and I make enough for around 6 big portions.
My broth goes something like this:
I ususally start with the left overs from a roast chicken, and by that I mean getting the most from the remains of the bird by breaking up all the bones and making a simple stock. (I also collect the drippings from the bird in a cup for later, once the drippings have cooled over night remove the fat layer on top and you should have some gellified stock underneath that should be added to the finished stock). So, Chop up the bones so the marrow can also infuse the stock, add 2 carrots, 1 halved onion, a few dried bay leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper. After 2 hours or so simmering on a low heat it should have mingled, changed colour and started to look a little more like the base of a lovely pot of broth!
strain the stock (or cook for a bit longer if you wish) and take out the carrots and onion to add to the broth, pepare your slow cooker or pan and add the stock along with any left over meat from the actual bird (or frozen/fresh chicken meat you may have in the fridge or freezer) and 1 finely chopped onion, 2 whole carrots and the carrots from the stock, 2 medium white potatoes, a big handful of pearl barley, a handful of green lentils and any other dried beans you might have around, a pich of rosemary and marjoram (or any other herd you like the smell of!) 2 stock cubes (incase you didn't have many bones to make a strong enough stock) and top up with water.
I usually cook my broths in the slow cooker for about 10 hours, often making them at around midnight so they are ready for everyone in the morning/day. if you are using a standard pan or pressure cooker, cook untill the potatoes are soft enough to jab with a fork and everything has cooked properly (especially the meat!). I also add dumplings sometime in the morning as they take a few hours to cook through, to make them you add butter (or suet-lidl stock it), water and flour and mix by hand into pool ball sized balls. The balls should be a bit sticky but firm ehough not to melt into the broth, I don't know an exact measure of each ingredient for the dumplings as I just do it by eye on the day..
Once they are rolled and ready, plop them in and let them simmer for around 2 hours or so depending on size, they also grow so don't feel the need to make big ones!it's then as simple as getting the ladle and filling the bellies of your loved ones! Something that doesn't take alot of effort but is very rewarding.
I will try to calculate the ingredients so you cand get an idea of how much it costs to make:
bag of pearly barley = £1 for the bag and you will be using about 10 pence worth.
potatoes (from a 5 kilo bag) = £3 for the bag, so about 50p for the 2.
stock cubes = £1 for 12, so about 20p for the 2.
chicken = £5 but it'll make your roast dinner too, £2?.
carrots (from a 600g bag) = 70p for the bag, so about 40p for the 4.
onions = £1 for 3, so 65p for 2.
bag of lentils = £1 and you'll use about 10 pence worth.
herbs = about 5p!
flour = £1 for 1.5kilo and you'll use a few handfulls so 20p.
butter = £1 and you'll use about half, 50p.
All in, £3.70? it will feed around 6 people and you know what went into it!
I can't calculate the costs of electric and gas to run each cooking method but it will be minimal..
I hope you appreciate my recipe and I would love to see all the cooks to chip in and help inspire anyone who feels home cooking is too hard or overly expensive.
If i can do it, so can you!
